Speedway aero kit gets initial track test April 4

By
Dave Lewandowski
| Published:
Mar 28, 2012

INDYCAR will conduct a test of the speedway aerodynamic kit for the new IndyCar Series car April 4 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Teams will be limited to one car each at the test. Spectators can watch the event from the South grandstand near the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Hall of Fame Museum.

“What was originally scheduled to be a manufacturers’ test has been expanded to provide each team the opportunity to send one car to the test,” INDYCAR vice president of technology Will Phillips said. “Dallara has worked hard to make sure all the required parts are available to allow teams to test the new package.”

Rookie drivers will not be part of the April 4 test as the Rookie Orientation Program for the Indianapolis 500 is scheduled for May 10 at the Speedway.

The speedway aero kit, developed by Dallara, will be utilized at the 2.5-mile Indianapolis Motor Speedway and the 2-mile Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, Calif. The Indianapolis 500 is May 27 and the return of the IZOD IndyCar Series to Auto Club Speedway on Sept. 15 for the season finale.

It includes rear-wheel guards that are taller, lighter and have a slightly different shape than the sets to be used on the road/street circuits and the oval races at Texas Motor Speedway, Iowa Speedway and the Milwaukee Mile. Also included are rear-wheel backing plates and sidepods add-ons.

The components have been tested in both scale model and full size in the wind tunnel at the Auto Research Center in North Carolina in conjunction with INDYCAR.

INDYCAR also has scheduled an Open Test at the 1.5-mile Texas Motor Speedway on May 7 in preparation for the Firestone 550 on June 9. GET TICKETS

Josef Newgarden and Simon Pagenaud are scheduled to participate in their formal rookie testing April 4-5 at Texas Motor Speedway.